Blood of Olympus Countdown
by xxAsLongAsWereTogetherxx
Summary: A series of one-shots, each leading up to the release of Blood of Olympus! Including a loveable Leo, the guy known as Seaweed Brain, our favorite Wise Girl, the Beauty Queen, Sparky, the Panda Man, Diamond Girl, and- No! These aren't super hero names!
1. Call Me Maybe?

_"Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs_

_With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love _

_Got a bottle of whatever but it's getting us drunk_

_Singing here's to never growing up"_

_-_ Avril Lavigne, Here's to Never Growing Up.

* * *

The seven of the prophecy and Nico sat in the break room of the Argo ll, all of them seated on counches, armchairs, or the floor. Six of them looked over at the son of Hephaestus, confusion etched upon all of their faces. Leo had called them into the room, but when they asked why, he merely put on a wicked grin.

"What do you need Leo?" Piper finally asked, her ADHD getting the best of her.

"Wait for it," Leo muttered, tapping his wrench against his thigh. "Abracadabra!"

As soon as he said those words, the Xbox turned on, along with the Kinect. The game that came on? Just Dance 2. Almost everyone stared at the T.V in horror, absolutely ready to protest against the highly embarrassing scene sure to come. The only one who looked happy about this besides Leo, was Coach Hedge, who came trotting in.

"Uh, Leo?" Percy asked. "As great as this is, I'm not dancing. I refuse to burn everyone's eyeballs out."

Annabeth sighed, "He's not joking."

Leo waved them off dismissively, and waved his hand in front of the sensor, pressing start. He pondered over what song to pick for a while, before deciding on Call Me Maybe.

"So, who's going first?" The son of Hephaestus asked.

No one volunteered.

"Nico it is!" He exclaimed, dragging the said son of Hades in the middle of the room before collapsing on the couch.

"I'm going to kill you," Nico grumbled, as the music started.

* * *

_"I threw a wish in the well,_

_Don't ask me, I'll never tell_

_I looked to you as it fell,_

_And now you're in my way"_

Nico tried doing the moves as the person on screen did, but with way less enthusiasm. At this point, Percy had a grin on his face, Jason was chuckling quietly, Hazel and Frank were smiling slightly, Leo was sniggering, Annabeth shook her head, and Coach Hedge called him a cupcake.. This went on for a while until the verse changed.

_"Hey, I just met you,_

_And this is crazy,_

_But here's my number,_

_So call me maybe"_

At this point, nearly everyone was collapsing in silent laughter, except Coach Hedge and Hazel. Coach Hedge was shouting at Nico to dance better, as he was missing almost every move. Hazel was fanning her face, as she wasn't used to this type of dancing even if Nico was failing miserably at doing it correctly.

_"And all the other boys,_

_Try to chase me-"_

The son of Hades face turned a shade of red so bright it seemed impossible. He made frustrated sound and stormed out of the room, leaving the others gasping for air. This, however, was short lived, because once the song ended it was fully known that it would be another person's turn.

* * *

"Jason, Percy, Frank, Coach Hedge!" Leo called once the song ended. "Next song!"

Out of all of the songs on that video game console, Leo picked What Makes You beautiful. All of the boys except Leo and Coach Hedge groaned, while Annabeth covered her ears, Piper sighed, and Hazel looked at the screen obviously confused with this music.

_"You're insecure,_

_Don't know what for,_

_You're turning heads when you walk through the door,_

_Don't need make-up,_

_To cover up,_

_Being the way that you are is enough"_

Percy looked like he was having a seizure, Jason seemed flat out awkward, Frank appeared to be a dancing panda, and Coach Hedge...Well, he was completely into the song. Annabeth was laughing hysterically, especially over her boyfriend, Piper was grinning, and Hazel had a smile playing on her face.

_"Baby you light up my world like nobody else,_

_The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,_

_But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell"_

All of the girls were laughing uncontrollably at this point, and so was Leo, but the females were begging them to stop dancing. They didn't get their wish. Jason, Percy, Coach Hedge, and Frank seemed to start dancing even worse; If it's even possible, that is.

_"You don't know you're beautiful,_

_Oh oh,_

_You don't know you're beautiful,_

_Oh oh,_

_That's what makes you beautiful"_

At the end of the song, three of the four boys dancing tried to recover any of the dignity that they had left. Coach Hedge wasn't one of the three. He was bowing, saying how he would be absolutely willing to do an encore. Everyone else, even Leo, weren't too enthusiastic.

* * *

"For the next song...Piper, Annabeth, and Hazel!" Leo announced. "Get on up here!"

Thr three girls sighed and stood up, taking their place is the middle of the room. They groaned slightly at the song Leo picked; Moves Like Jagger. All of the guys were smirking though, aware that they would end up fully embarrassing themselves. Not worse than Nico though.

_"Just shoot for the stars_

_If it feels right_

_And aim for my heart_

_If you feel like_

_And take me away and make it OK_

_I swear I'll behave"_

It was the same routine as it was for the other songs, except this time, the girls didn't completely suck. Annabeth was doing fine, as was Piper and Hazel. Leo started to wolf-whistle, but that ended quickly after Frank appeared to be ready to sock him over the head.

_"Take me by the tongue_

_And I'll know you_

_Kiss me 'til you're drunk_

_And I'll show you"_

The guys started clapping jokingly, but quickly stopped after the girls glared at them. Leo, for some reason, took out a remote control and clicked a button on it. Suddenly, a multi-colored disco ball came from the ceiling, and all eyes turned to the repair boy who shrugged.

_"With them moves like Jagger_

_I've got the moves like Jagger_

_I've got the moves like Jagger"_

Everyone was completely silent for a moment, before they burst out laughing at how awkward this situation was. Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel sat immediately in their respective seats, blushing. The laughter echoing throughout the room really didn't help their situation.

* * *

"Your turn, Leo," Frank said, looking at the said person.

"Oh _heck _no. I'm not dancing!" Leo exclaimed. "But this is definitely going online!"

And that, is the story of how Leo Valdez was brought close to death. By a furious son of death, a kill-crazy satyr, a steaming son of Mars, and...A laughing group of demigods?

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yeah... I think I made this drabble because I'm having a serious PJO withdrawal. Especially with the wait for Blood of Olympus. I'm going to try to post a one shot on this story every day until the next book is released, so the next should be up tomorrow.

I don't own any of the songs, or characters used.


	2. Keeping Promises

_"I walk this empty street, _

_On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams,_

_Where the city sleeps, _

_And I'm the only one and I walk alone"_

_- _Green Day, Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

* * *

_"The other side Nico! We'll see you there! Understand?"_

_"But-"_

_"Lead them there! Promise me!"_

_"I-I will."_

As Nico sat in the control room, this exchange rang through his head. Thinking it over, he realized what an idiotic promise that was to make. He wasn't a leader; Nico was always meant to stay in the background, be an outcast, and hide in the shadows until he was needed. He was used to this by now.

But this time, _he_ was expected to show everyone the way. _He _was going to have to keep everyone together. The fate of the crew, and Percy and Annabeth depended on him. For some strange reason, Nico felt like he couldn't let any of the seven down when it came to this.

Nico wasn't sure why he felt the smallest bit obligated to do anything for these demigods. They never did anything much for him. In fact, he was almost always just tossed aside like a rotten apple. Then again, that's what Nico basically was to them, or so he thought. A rotten apple.

Percy had failed Nico. It was basically his fault that Bianca died. He should have sacrificed himself instead of her. Then maybe the son of Hades could be happy. Even though his mother was dead, and his father absolutely loathed him, he would be grateful if he could just have his sister.

Nico knew just how selfish that must have seemed, but he thought that he deserved to be selfish for once. But if Percy had died, Olympus would have toppled, and who knows where anyone would be right now? If anyone would be alive after Kronos started his reign, that is.

Maybe it was actually Nico's fault that his beloved sister had died. If he never took part in the childish game known as Mythomagic, Bianca never would have tried to get the Hades statue. That statue was coincidentally, the only one that Nico didn't have at the previously said time.

No. He couldn't think like that. If he did, the situation would just get worse. Guilt would override his mind, and who knows what he might do? There was no way to avenge Bianca's death except by living his life to the fullest. The only problem was, happiness felt so far away from the present.

"Nico!" Hazel called, jerking him from his thoughts.

"Yeah?" Nico asked, joining the others in the dining room.

"Where were you?" Piper asked. "We've been calling you for an hour.

"I was in the control room...Just thinking," Nico replied, shifting uncomfortably. "Can I go now?"

"Wait," Hazel said. "Do you want to talk about what you were thinking?"

Nico's eyes hardened, "No. I don't."

"Maybe you should just let him be," Frank suggested, shrugging.

Hazel bit her lip, "All of you guys go ahead, I'm going to have a chat with my brother."

Jason, Frank, Leo, and Piper nodded, and left the room, leaving the two children of death my themselves. A rather awkward silence fell between the two for quite a long while, which wasn't easy on their ADHD. You could tell it was bothering them both, if you noticed the slight way they twitched.

"So whats bothering you?" Hazel asked, unable to take the silence for a moment longer.

"Everything," Nico replied. "I'm not a leader. I can't do this. I'm going to end up letting you all down, I always do."

"Nico," Hazel said quietly. "You'll do fine."

"No," Nico groaned. "You don't understand! I promised Percy I would succeed. What if I fail? I can't break my promise."

"And why is that?" Hazel questioned.

"Since he broke his promise to me, I'm determined to keep mine," he explained, putting his head in his hands.

"It's okay to break promises sometimes," Hazel said. "But I know that you won't, because you can do this."

"I can't," Nico muttered. "The last time something like this happened my sister died..."

Hazel immediately softened, "Is this what's upsetting you?"

"It's not just that," he said, looking up. "I...What if something goes wrong, and Percy hates me?"

"Why do you care what he thinks?" She asked, her eyebrows creasing.

"I owe him a lot, and..." The son of Hades shook his head. "Never mind. You wouldn't understand."

Nico then walked off, guilt seeping into his heart. Hazel had only been trying to help, but he pushed her away. He always pushes people away. But then again, he spoke the truth. She _wouldn't _understand. No one would. How could they, when he didn't even get it?

He liked Percy. He could understand that much. But did he truly? Nico wasn't sure of his feelings, and accepting the fact that he might be gay was even harder. He denied it time and time again, but he couldn't push away who he was. So instead of denying it, he just hid the fact from everyone.

But now, he wondered if he was even allowed to think that way. Wasn't Percy technically his cousin? Besides, Nico wasn't meant to be in this era. Thinking of how disgusted people from his time period would be confused the lonely son of death even more.

There was one thing Nico could do. Push away all of his pain, all of his grudges, and all of his regret, and keep moving on. He _would _lead Piper, Hazel, Jason, Frank, and Leo to the Doors of Death safely. He _would _rescue Percy and Annabeth no matter the cost.

He _would _keep his promise...

* * *

**Author's Note: **Uh...Yeah. I know that was probably OOC and stuff, but what are you going to do? :P

So...I'm gonna thank the reviewer, and the people who favorited/followed this.

Um. Thanks?

Well, that was awkward.

I don't own any of the characters.


	3. A Bleeding Bear?

_"And if you find a man that gives a damn and treats you well_

_Then he's a fool, you're just as well_

_Hope it gives you hell"_

-All American Rejects, Gives You Hell

* * *

Reyna walked carefully through Camp Half-Blood, occasionally stopping to help with a repair. After the Giant War, the two camps had put aside their differences to help each other. What the daughter of Bellona didn't know, is that helping the Greeks would be the cause of her migraine.

The Roman was minding her own business, when she heard an aggravated cry of frustration. With a sigh, she made her way towards the sound, and it took all of her self control to not laugh. Two identical, curly haired campers were laughing at a very angry Octavian, who was clutching a ripped teddy bear...

Covered in ketchup?

"Praetor!" Octavian cried. "Look what these _graeci _did to me!"

Reyna raised her eyebrows at the two Greeks. "Who are you, and what did you do?"

"I'm Connor," one of them said.

"And I'm Travis," said the other.

"And since you asked ever so nicely," Connor added mockingly.

"We filled his bears with ketchup!" Travis finished. "The murderer..."

Reyna shook her head, realizing that these two really weren't helping their case. Most of the Romans trusted the Greeks now, but Octavian? No way. He was still convinced that they would murder him in his sleep, or worse; Take away his stuffed animals.

"Well, do something!" Octavian demanded.

"Just go get cleaned up," Reyna ordered.

Octavian looked as if he wanted to protest, but he nodded and ran off after her stern look. The daughter of Bellona then turned back to Connor and Travis, her eyebrows still raised. Both of them shrugged, and remained silent for few moments.

"So..." Connor trailed off.

Travis paused, "Do Romans eat Ramen noodles a lot?"

Reyna frowned, "No. Why would we?"

"And you must use Roman candles, right?" Connor asked, not answering her.

"Sometimes. Why?"

"Does wearing a cape make you feel like a superhero?" Travis questioned, mock serious.

The Roman scowled, "No. Don't ask any more questions if you won't answer mine."

The two brothers seemed to think this over, before they exchanged a look; A silent agreement. Reyna looked between them, with confusion etched upon her features, the anger starting to leave her.

"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" Travis asked, tapping his chin.

As Reyna started to respond, Connor interrupted. "Because your face is pretty messed up."

"And you are both acting like children," Reyna scoffed. "Are we done now?"

"You're breaking up with me?" The Stolls asked in unison.

"I...What?" She inquired, rubbing her temples.

Connor and Travis erupted into laughter, so Reyna rolled her eyes and began to walk away. The brothers looked at each other, then back at the Roman. They smirked a devilish smirk, and walked after her.

"Wait!" Connor wailed, with a fake horrified look.

"Don't leave us!" Travis exclaimed over-dramatically.

Reyna scoffed at their antics, and made off full speed towards the Big House, where Chiron was conversing with several campers. The centaur caught sight of her, and waved her over.

"Is something wrong, child?" Chiron asked, as she neared the group.

Reyna remained silent for a few moments.

"Do you have any Aspirin?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **I...Don't even know where this came from. XD I know that it's short, but I seriously ran out of ideas for this one-shot. I didn't get a chance to proof-read this yet, so I apologize for the mistakes.

Again, I'm thanking the reviewers, readers, and etc. XP

I don't own any of the characters. (Sadly)


	4. Trick or Treat?

_"How can you see into my eyes like open doors?_

_Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb_

_Without a soul my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold_

_Until you find it there and lead it back home"_

- Evanescense, Bring Me to Life

* * *

"Annabeth," Percy groaned. "Why not?"

"Because, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said. "We are _not _going trick-or-treating!"

For the past hour, the couple had been arguing over whether they would go trick-or-treating or not. Percy begged,whined, and sucked up to her, but Annabeth refused. She would _not _participate in such a childish activity. Especially not at the young adult age of seventeen.

Yet, a few hours later, Annabeth found herself in a ridiculous witch costume with Percy in a Spider-Man costume. Eventually she had gotten sick of all his complaining and gave in, though the puppy dog eyes might have helped his cause.

"Percy, I'm uncomfortable," Annabeth stated.

"Don't be," Percy replied. "That costume really brings out your personality."

"Hilarious," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I try."

With a scoff, the two walked out of Percy's messy bedroom, only to be ambushed by Sally Jackson. She smiled brightly at the sight of them, which looked kind of odd since her face was half covered in make up. The couple figured she was in the middle of applying it.

"You two look so cute!" Sally exclaimed.

"Percy made me dress up," Annabeth clarified immediately, smiling despite herself.

"Oh, well he's always been a kid at heart," Sally said, sighing.

"Hey, I'm right here!" Percy protested.

"We know," the girls said in unison.

Percy's eyes widened comically, "No! Now you're talking in the same way! I'll be over here."

He tried to walk away, but Annabeth quickly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back. She didn't even resist the urge to roll her eyes, as he was being utterly ridiculous. She had to admit, that it was somewhat funny though.

"Can we go now?" Percy asked. "It's getting late."

"Yes, you two can leave," Sally said. "Just be careful!"

"Sally, this is Percy we're talking about," Annabeth deadpanned.

"Good point...Just come back alive!"

After they promised that they would live, the couple left the apartment. Percy practically ran down the street, with Annabeth on his tail. She did, after all, have to make sure he didn't get himself killed somehow. When he finally stopped walking, he was in front of a door. He knocked on it like an excited little kid.

"Trick or treat!" Percy exclaimed.

"...Aren't you a little old for this?" The woman who answered the door asked.

"No. I'm not."

The woman shook her head, but still put candy in his and Annabeth's bags. Percy grinned and walked away, until Annabeth spun him around. He looked like a puppy who had been caught digging up a garden.

"Percy, you're acting like a kid," Annabeth said.

Percy frowned slightly, "Well, yeah...But I never really got the chance to have.a normal childhood. You haven't either. This is kind of my way of making things right."

Annabeth sighed, but she knew what said what true. Actually, what Percy said was true for a bunch of demigods. Ever since the age of twelve, he had to deal with something life-threatening. Now though, after the Giant War, he had a chance for some peace.

"Okay," Annabeth agreed. "Let's go little kids for the night."

Percy's face split into a grin so wide it made Annabeth's heart ache just looking at him. He ran to the door, where there was a bowl filled with candy. A sign on it said to take one. At this, Percy tried taking the entire bowl jokingly, until Annabeth swatted his hand.

"It says to take one," she said.

"I know. That's why I tried taking one bowl..."

She laughed, and they moved on. At the end of the night, even when Annabeth was cold and her feet were aching, she managed a smile.

"So...Who didn't want to go trick-or-treating?" Percy asked.

"Oh, shut it, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth retorted.

"Whatever you say Wise Girl, whatever you say."

* * *

Piper and Jason sat at a table, two giant pumpkins in front of them. Earlier they had picked them out, and just now they were going to carve them. Piper could remember when she used to do this with her father, and it gave her a comfortable feeling of nostalgia.

"So what's first?" Jason asked, tapping his fingers on the table.

"First, we have to gut the pumpkin," Piper announced, grabbing a knife.

"Sounds nice."

The daughter of love laughed at his comment, and began to cut the top of the pumpkin off. Jason did the same, though he slower, since this was the first time he had ever carved a pumpkin. Once they both got the top vut off, they paused.

"Okay, so now we have to get out the pumpkin guts," Piper said, reaching her hand into the pumpkin.

"I've heard worse," Jason decided, doing the same.

They started taking the stringy orange guts out of the pumpkin, grimacing slightly at it's stickiness. Piper grinned slightly, before taking a handful of the stuff and flinging it at Jason's back. The son of Jupiter winced, wiped it off, then wrapped Piper in a suffocating hug.

"Jase, you're cutting off my air supply," Piper choked out.

"Nonsense, Pipes," Jason said, a grin playing on his face.

"You're evil," she said, nodding in confirmation.

"So I've been told."

With a laugh he released her, and they finished gutting the pumpkins without further interruptions. What they had to do next was self-spoken, so they began to carve faces into the pumpkins.

Jason's turned out looking deformed, with it's uneven triangle eyes, over-sized nose, and crooked mouth. Piper's was nearly perfect, with all of the shapes in nearly prefect proportion. After all, she was a master at this by now.

"Yours is great," Jason said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Thanks...But yours kind of looks deformed," Piper said, biting back a smile.

"I take offense to that," he said.

"As you should."

* * *

Hazel and Frank sat on a the couch, watching some scary movie in celebration of Halloween. They had decided against going to the multiple events going on, in favor of relaxing for a day.

"This is nice," Hazel said contentedly, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself.

Frank nodded. "It's a step up from running for our lives."

The daughter of Pluto nodded in agreement, simply because it was the truth. She reached into the bowl of candy and pulled out a sucker. She unwrapped it, and began to eat it happily, while Frank balanced the popcorn bowl on his lap.

Just as the son of Mars opened his mouth to say something, the T.V. turned off. Everything was silent for another few minutes, until the lights flickered off, and everything was pitch black.

"What happened?" Hazel asked quietly.

"I don't kn-"

"GAH!" Someone yelled running into the room with a zombie mask on.

Hazel screamed, and Frank jumped so bad that the popcorn flew all over the place. The person laughed the electronics turned back on. Then, he took off his mask, and they saw who it was...

"Leo!" Frank and Hazel shouted in unison.

"That's me!"

* * *

The Stolls grinned at the prospect of Halloween, thinking of all of the things that they could do. For the past few days, they had been planning out pranks to pull on this day. They needed something that would make the other campers wet their pants. So who did they turn to for help? Nico Di Angelo.

"You two owe me," Nico grumbled, putting the finishing touches on the haunted house.

"Yeah, yeah," Connor said, rolling his eyes. "We'll repay you _somehow_."

Travis nodded in agreement, "We'll steal you some candy!"

"Fine," Nico said. "Now I'm going to leave. Once this all goes down, I'm not going to be murdered."

"He has faith in us," Connor said, wiping away a fake tear.

"I'm touched," Travis agreed, putting a hand to his heart.

Nico rolled his eyes and shadow traveled away. The two brothers grinned devilishly, and started handing out the haunted house flyers that they had made earlier in the day. Because of this, within an hour, at least half of the campers gathered outside the haunted house Nico set up.

The Stolls ushered the campers into the dark building, and started to watch them on the screen they set up. They laughed uncontrollably, as the campers practically jumped out of their shoes when they encountered ghosts. The house itself was bad enough, with the darkness, cobwebs, paintings, and old furniture.

Nico just made it worse.

As the campers began to leave, the doors swung shut, and the lights flickered off. Screams could be heard as soon as this happened, and the Stolls barely contained their laughter. Green slime fell from the ceiling of the house and landed on the campers trapped inside. Immediately, they started to yell in hoarse voices.

Connor and Travis grinned at each other.

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yeah. Even though it probably doesn't seem like it, this took forever to write. But that's mostly because I wrote this on a glitchy kindle that deletes every two words. Because of this, sorry for typos.

So, which was your favorite? I liked the Percabeth one... :P

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!


	5. Anger

_"I will not die I'll wait here for you_

_I feel alive when you're beside me_

_I will not die I'll wait here for you_

_In my time of dying"_

-Three Days Grace, Time of Dying

* * *

_Anger_.

That's what motivated him to do such a thing. He never thought of the consequences, he never thought of who might be hurt because of his actions; All he wanted was revenge. Revenge on what? That's a difficult topic to delve into. So many people, beings, and spirits have failed him. Or so he thought.

He never thought of the promises broke until it was too late, until the tear-stained faces haunted his worst nightmares. By then, it was too late to turn back. He had to keep moving forward, and did so driven by fury.

Never, had he felt like it was his fault. He was just angry. Angry at the world, for all of the hardships thrown at him. Angry at his father, for abandoning him through his hard life. Most of all, angry at himself.

In all reality, he didn't deserve the fate that had befallen him. Many could be blamed for what happened, himself included. That didn't mean that the past could be changed. If anything, it just gave more exused to be furious. Regret and grudges wouldn't get them anywhere; Forgiveness would.

It started off as a kindling flame, just a spark, and barely alive. But it was still there. More fuel was added on, and the fire grew larger, the heat slightly more intense. It was still there. Later on, the spark grew into a full-blown wildfire, fueled by the ever present anger.

Then the flame died.

The anger died down, the fire was contained, every small achievement went down the drain. All he was remembered for was the destruction, the pain, the suffering he had brought upon everyone. Not for his heroic acts, once the guilt and regret had finally settled in. Once the reality hit.

Sometimes, they had said that the end is really the beginning. That the darkest of days is just symbolizing they soon things will get better. Almost as if after the storm passes, the sun will come out for a better tomorrow. In his final moments he couldn't help but wonder if that was relevant.

At that time, he knew what he had done was wrong. He had just hoped, with his dying breath, that his sins could be revoked. Not forgotten, for then everything that had happened would have been in vain. Perhaps just forgiven, so his soul could rest knowing that he wasn't resented.

Everyone had thought that he was always the great evil, the one who needed to be put to rest. They were blinded by their cause, for they were fighting for what they believed was right. The thing is, he was too. He was fighting for his idea of a better tommorow.

Because in reality, Luke Castellan was actually the victim.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So...Uh...Yeah. Don't even ask where that came from, because I don't know. :P Ah, well. Adios!


	6. Shut Up

_"But if I kiss you_

_Will your mouth read this truth?_

_Darling, how I miss you_

_Strawberries taste how lips do"_

-Ed Sheeran, Little Bird

* * *

"Ann-a-beth!" Percy complained, sprawled out on the couch.

The said daughter of wisdom rolled her eyes, and went to go wet a towel. Percy had been sick with a fever for the past day, and Annabeth had been taking care of him. It was rare for demigods to get sick, since they weren't completely mortal, but once they did it was severe.

She went into the cabinet and got out a hand towel, before going into the kitchen. She turned on the sink and soaked the material in cool water, then came back out into the living room. Annabeth set the towel on Percy's forehead, and started to walk away to make soup. Insetad, Percy caught her waist and pulled her onto the couch.

"Tell me a story," he demanded, childishly.

"Seaweed Brain, I'm _not _going to tell you a story," Annabeth stated, a hint of stubbornness in her voice.

"Why not? I mean, I might die, and you won't even do this small task," he replied.

"You're not going to die, drama queen."

With that, Annabeth pushed his arms away and got up. She walked back into the kitchen, and began to look for a can of soup, but to no avail.

"I'm going to the store. Need anything?"

"Yeah," he replied dryly. "A story book."

Ignoring him, Annabeth walked out the door, and called a taxi. Meanwhile, Percy was bored out of his mind. Even though he was sick, he still had ADHD. Sitting still, and having that wasn't the best combination.

Deciding that he could probably find _something_ to do, he got off of the couch. Maybe it wasn't the brightest decision, but then again, Percy wasn't the brightest person. He walked over to the fishbowl, and started a conversation with a starfish, when Annabeth walked in.

"What are you doing?" She asked. "And why are you not resting?"

"I'm, uh, sleep walking," Percy decided, practically running back to the couch.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked.

He looked up. "Yeah?"

"Shut up and go to sleep."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yeah...Not my best work. My kindle is still glitching, so I guess I just didn't have the patience to write a long drabble. :/ Bye!


	7. No Pressure

_"I hate everything about you_

_Why do I love you_

_You hate everything about me_

_Why do you love me"_

-Three Days Grace, I Hate Everything About You

* * *

Leo sat in the control room of the Argo ll, tapping his wrench aimlessly against his thigh. He had been thinking about the promise he made Calypso, and how impossible it seemed. The daughter of Atlas herself had said it was impossible for any man to find Ogygia more than once. But Leo wasn't exactly a normal man.

The son of Hephaestus had thought of a billion different ways he could get back to Calypso's Island. Out of all of them though, he had to admit launching himself out of a cannon would be a dumb Plan b. Mostly because there were a bunch of other letters in the alphabet.

Sure. Leo wanted to fulfill his promise so the lonely girl could actually have a social life. Besides, they were going to open up a garage together. All of that aside, he had kind of sworn he would return on the River Styx. If he broke that promise...Well, it wouldn't exactly be pretty.

Maybe it was just his ADHD acting up, but while thinking about this he was even more hyper than usual. That was kind of strange, because Leo had been slightly wistful for the past few days. It calmed down his jitters.

Whatever the reason was for that, he didn't care. Leo just had to focus on getting to his destination, defeating Dirt Face and the giants, and staying alive. Yeah, and he might be the fire part in the prophecy. But no pressure, right?

Yeah, wrong. Leo felt like the creators of the Earth were in some sort of conspiracy against him. At least _that _would explain recent events better saying that Tyche had something against him. Oh well.

Going back on to his train of thoughts, if he had one, Leo wasn't sure what to do. If it came to it, he would fly his ship until he found Ogygia again. Maybe he could work out something with his Archimedes Sphere, or create that tracking device.

Would it work though? That's what he wasn't too sure about. Leo's inventions had a tendency to stop working, and explode. Not necessarily in that order either. Even assuming he did get it to work, would Calypso still want to come?

Probably. Leo thought that hanging out in one place for years sounded kinda lame. After all, what was the most interesting thing to happen? Heroes crash-landing on her beach and destroying kitchen tables? Fun.

No matter what the heck the deal was, Leo made a promise. A stupid promise, that'll probably get him killed, but still. He would find a way to fulfill that, or he'd burn to ash. Literally.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry, chapters are still short because of my stupid kindle. Sometimes I seriously hate technology. Bye!


	8. Faded Pictures

_"You used to captivate me by your resonating light_

_Now I'm bound by the life you left behind_

_Your face – it haunts my once pleasant dreams_

_Your voice – it chased away all the sanity in me"_

-Evanescence, My Immortal

* * *

Nico di Angelo walked hesitantly out of his father's palace, and made his way towards the Fields of Asphodel. In his hands was a black photo album, that showed pictures of a beautiful woman of Italian descent, a young boy, and a slightly older girl. Once he arrived in the grey landscape, he sat down under a black poplar tree, examining the heart aching pictures. Of course, he knew who those people were- Him and his family.

The son of Hades had slipped away from Demeter's lecture on cereal, and aimlessly wandered around, until he came to a drawer. Curiosity had overtaken him, so he opened it only to find the mentioned photo album. So he took it, even though he knew how furious his father would be if he found out about it. The odd thing was, Nico didn't really care. This would be worth it.

He turned the page, and saw himself and Bianca, with huge grins on their faces. When the picture was taken, Nico couldn't have been any older than six, so the photograph must've been very old. While he looked at the picture, it felt so real that for a moment, he thought he could feel the sunlight on his back, the gentle wind playing on his face. But no. He was in the Underworld.

On the next page, his mother Maria was cooking something, her back facing the camera lens. At this, Nico couldn't help but wonder how his life would be if Zeus never broke apart his family. Sure, he might be dead already, along with Bianca and his mother, but at least he would've had a home. After all, Nico didn't belong, and not just because of his parentage. He was meant to be in a different time period.

Hardening his resolve, he turned the page again, and found another photo of him and Bianca, playing Mythomagic. He remembered how he would purposely give his sister the worst cards and statues, so he would win no matter what. It's not like it would have mattered, however. Especially since Bianca never had any clue what she was supposed to do. She had only played it because of Nico.

The memories of her death filled up his mind, and he slipped the photo album into his jacket. He couldn't look at anymore pictures, at least not right now. Maybe he would at another time, but as for now, he didn't want to be more depressed than needed. He couldn't believe that he actually had a family at one time, since he had been alone for so long now. He would always be alone, just because of a bolt of lightning.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I don't know what's wrong with me, I've been obsessed with Nico lately. o_O Oh well. Bye!


	9. Memories

_"Give me love like her,_

_'Cause lately I've been waking up alone,_

_Pain splattered teardrops on my shirt,_

_Told you I'd let them go"_

-Ed Sheeran, give me love

* * *

Piper sat on the deck of the Argo ll, near the edge so she could take in the scenery. A gentle wind played across her face, making her feel as if she was flying. She actually had to remind herself that she was on a ship leading to her death. That's not exactly a morale booster. After all, who knew what would happen when the time came to defeat Gaea?

After the crew had rescued Percy and Annabeth, it had fired them up. Just knowing that those two could survive Tartarus brought their hopes up. After all, if they could survive hell, then why can't everyone kill Gaea? Because it's ridiculous, that's why, a small voice in Piper's head chimed. She told the voice to shut up.

"Hey, Pipes," Jason greeted, coming up behind her.

"Hi, Sparky," Piper replied, with a soft smile.

The son of Jupiter sat down next to Piper, and wrapped an arm around her. Piper leaned into the embrace, resting her head on Jason's shoulder. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, basing in each other's warmth. Neither of them could say exactly how long, as they felt an eternity could have passed and they wouldn't have noticed it.

"Piper?" Jason spoke up.

"Hmm?"

"Remember how we met?" Jason asked.

Piper nearly laughed. "Of course. Having a stranger for a best friend and boyfriend isn't exactly forgettable."

"For me it was," he pointed out.

"Well, you were an exception," she allowed.

"An exception out of two other people," he deadpanned.

"Oh, shut up."

Jason chuckled, and leaned his head onto Piper's. The sun began to set, and Piper was reminded of the rare occasions that she went to the beach with her father. The sea was important to the Cherokee, so they would often spend all day by it. Once the sun set, they would look at the explosion of colors in the sky.

She almost could smell the satly air, and feel the soft sand beneath her toes. Yet again though, she had to be brought back into reality. She couldn't just enjoy this picturesque moment.

But she would treasure it as long as she lived.

* * *

**Author's Note: **A Jasper-ish thing was wanted, and here it is! :P


	10. How Far We've Come

_"Now I believe the world is burning to the ground_

_Oh well I guess we're gonna find out_

_Let's see how far we've come _

_Let's see how far we've come"_

-Matchbox 20, How Far We've Come

* * *

_Seven demigods shall answer the call._

Hazel wasn't sure how she felt about being included in the prophecy. She was scared, at the prospect of exploring the unknown. Though, the daughter of Pluto was also excited. This could be a chance unlike any other for her. Good or bad, she wasn't exactly sure.

Percy wasn't all that shocked when he was thrown into another quest. He's used to it by now, so the process wasn't anything new. Part of him was weary though. This quest was obviously going to be the hardest one yet. He would just try his best to get through it.

Piper felt deflated, in a way. She didn't think that she would be very useful for this quest. After all, she was a daughter of Aphrodite. Even though she wasn't stereotypical, she still felt like she had no purpose. She would still go on the quest though, simply because it felt right.

_To storm or fire, the world must fall._

Leo wasn't sure about a lot of things. One thing he was sure about is that a falling world doesn't sound kid friendly. He figured that he was the fire, but he wasn't liking that or. Did it mean one of the two had to die?

Jason didn't know what to think, exactly. He thought that he might be the storm, but then he remembered that Percy could create hurricanes. There was really no way to find out until it happened, though. After all, prophecies love tricking people.

Frank originally thought that Leo was the fire. And he still could be. The son of Mars was just antsy, because Hera had said his firewood will burn in his own hands. What if Leo had to set his firewood to flames? Frank shook his head. He couldn't think like that.

_An oath to keep with a final breath._

As she thought about this, Annabeth figured that the oath was a promise of some sort. Which promise, however, she had no idea. And she hated that. After all, it drove her nuts not knowing something. But even she had to admit; Only time would tell.

Leo kept going back to the promise he made Calypso. The whole oath part sounded great. But the final breath section? Yeah. Not so much. He wondered if this prophecy was just trying to predict his untimely death...Which was completely possible.

_And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death._

Percy, at least, knew what this meant. Him, Annabeth, lapetus, and Damasen all joined forces even though they were supposed to be natural enemies. The son of Poseidon wasn't exactly complaining, but he still felt an unbelievable amount of guilt. At least their sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. They _would_ defeat Gaea.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yep. Still on a glitchy device. :/ Soon, the chapters should be longer though. Bye!


	11. Empty Wishes

_"And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal_

_I'm dying, praying, bleeding and screaming_

_Am I too lost to be saved?_

_Am I too lost?"_

-Evanescense, Tourquinet

* * *

The blood of the wounded flowed as a crimson river across the battlefield, glinting evilly. The war raged around the corpses, and destruction that followed such a thing. Just seeing the sight was inhumane, but to participate in it was a whole new class. Not that many of the warriors had a choice.

Annabeth slashed monsters with renewed vigor, her bone sword turning into a deadly ark. She fought beside her boyfriend, Percy, who was even deadlier, as he formed huge hurricanes to fend off, and destroy, those who stepped in his path. Otherwise, he fought with his long time sword; Riptide.

Piper charmspeaked enemies into forming their own demise, which was overall successful. When not doing this, she turned her horn of plently into a pie machine gun. Jason stayed close to her, circling the sky, and blasting monsters with lightning.

Hazel used her newfound talent of magic, and slashed with her golden calvary sword. She would bring waves of precious gems onto her enemies, effectively squashing them. Frank was close by, slashing furiously in the form of a black bear.

Leo shot balls of fire, and created split-second inventions that usually blew up. At least the explosions eliminated monsters. Nico was closer to Annabeth and Percy, summoning undead soldiers to join the battle. He also fought with his stygian iron sword, which was seemingly worked.

Others majorly helped as well. Such as Connor and Travis Stoll, who rigged the battlegrounds. The hunters of Artemis shot a volley of arrows, led by Thalia. Katie Gardner grew poison ivy, and wrapped the monsters in vines. The Ares cabin, obviously dominated. Especially Clarisse.

Overall, it seemed like the demigods had the upperhand. But that was until a horrible mistake happened. Nico was raising the dead, when a giant swept a hand at him. The son of Hades was able to dodge, but just barely. Percy, being the idiot he was, went to help his cousin.

Percy fought like a demon, slashing at the giant with lightning speed. As the giant got weaker from the constant attacks, Percy made a split decision. He charged the giant, then jumped up at last second, landing on his huge knee. The son of Poseidon scrambled up the monster, with slight difficulty.

Once Percy climbed to the neck of the monster, he jumped. His blade had just entered the giant's head, when the monster swatted him out of the air with the force of a truck. Some minor god blasted the giant to complete the killing, but Percy was nowhere to be seen.

Several people yelled in alarm, but Annabeth and Nico stopped fighting to look for him. Annabeth tried to guess what the trajectory could have been, as it might help determine where Percy landed. Nico thought that running in the general direction would be more practical, so that's what they did.

Eventually, they came across a barely conscious figure, who was almost unrecognizable. He had blood coating him, and the majority of his bones were twisting in a painful way. Both Nico and Annabeth winced, but hurriedly tried to heal Percy.

"Where's the ambrosia?" Annabeth demanded, forcing herself not to break down.

"It's back at the base," Nico replied in a small voice.

"Shadow-travel there amd get it," she ordered immediately.

His voice cracked. "Can't. I summoned a lot zombies, I don't have the energy..."

"Well, we have to do so-"

"Annabeth," Percy murmured, a slight smirk playing on his face. "You're cute when you're worried.."

She barley cracked a smile.

"I'm...I'm not gonna make it. And I just wanna tell you that-"

"No," Annabeth cut him off. "You're not going to die. I...What about New Rome? Remember? You wanted to have a life there. If you die on me that's impossible Seaweed Brain."

"I-I know...I'm sorry," Percy replied, before looking to Nico.

"Why did you do that?" Nico asked, trying to keep his emotions under control.

"Your sister," Percy answered, his tone faint. "Bianca made me promise to protect you. I guess this was what that line meant, right? An oath to keep with a final breath?"

"Percy," Nico sighed. "I- You should have forgotten it."

"No," he said, grimacing. "It's my fault she died. At least my death might make you forgive me."

"I don't blame you," the son of Hades said quietly.

Percy had an expression on his face that might have been relief, when he glanced at Annabeth.

"One last kiss for good luck Wise Girl?" He asked. "It's tradition."

Annabeth immediately pressed her lips to his, their tears intermingling with a salty taste. She tried to convince herself she would see him again, but she couldn't. The daughter of Athena was crushed.

Percy tried for a smile. "Now go kick Dirt Face's butt...And promise me you'll move on?"

"We promise," Annabeth and Nico said in unison, though they knew that it wasn't true.

"Awesome. I lo-"

The son of Poseidon's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his heartbeat stopped. Both Nico and Annabeth stared for a moment, before collapsing into horrible, sobs. But they had to pull themselves together.

They _promised._

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yay! Happiness! :D Yeah...No. I was just thinking of the prophecy and I'm like...Hmm. Adios!


	12. A New Life

_"This world will never be_

_What I expected_

_And if I don't belong_

_Who would have guessed it"_

-Three Days Grace, Never Too Late

* * *

Bianca sighed, and made her way to the desk, where she was greeted by a man wearing a pinstriped suit. She figured that it must be Charon, after hearing Nico ramble about Mythomagic. _Nico._ How would he take the news of her death? Probably not well, he was known for holding a grudge.

"Name?" Charon asked in a bored tone.

Bianca blinked. "Uh, Bianca di Angelo.

His eyes widened in understanding. "And how'd you die?"

"I was crushed by an automaton," Bianca replied slowly.

"Very well. Follow me."

"Don't I have to pay or something?"

"You're Hades kid. He wouldn't want to keep you waiting in the lobby."

The daughter of said god only nodded, and timidly followed Charon. As they came to a green river, the man's face turned ghoulish. Bianca couldn't say that she was actually surprised by this. Especially after she had learned that Greek mythology was real.

The man, Charon, stepped into a canoe, and Bianca followed suit. He started to paddle, and Bianca looked around uncomfortably. The place was dark, dreary, and depressing. Yet, she would have to spend all of eternity here? That wasn't her definition of cheerful.

After a while of awkward silence, the canoe bumped into a dock. Bianca stepped out of the boat and walked past a three headed dog, Cerebus. The dog was quite scary, but she just tried to ignore him.

Bianca walked into the EZ-DEATH line, and examined her surrounding. There were thousands of gaunt looking people waiting in line, and it was depressing to know that so many beings had died.

In the distance, Bianca could make out a place that looked like it belonged in a vacation brochure. Slightly closer, there was a blank grey field, with black poplar trees dotting it. She could hear distant screams, which made her stomach knot in horror.

She certainly didn't want to end up where _those_ souls were.

As she waited, her mind drifted back to Nico. How she would miss him, no matter how much of a pain he could be. After all, he really was Bianca's only family. She felt a sudden urge of guilt, realizing that she basically abandoned him.

For what exactly? That Mythomagic toy. She traded her life for a statue. It honestly sounded stupid, even in her head, but Nico really wanted it. She promised that if she ever found one, she would get it.

But would he seriously want the staue more than his sister?

Probably not. If Bianca could go back in time, she would change what happened. She wouldn't have taken the statue. Though, Bianca realized that she couldn't change what happened. Even if she could've, she might've done the same thing. It was a decision made in the spur of the moment.

Maybe she would just try for rebirth. After all, Bianca didn't want to spend all of her life- or death here. And Nico...Well, hopefully he would be independent by the time that he died. Bianca had decided it. If the judges deemed her worthy, she would be born in a new life.

The daughter of Hades just hoped that was the right choice.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay, so there's that one-shot. On the previous chapter, a review requested that I make that one-shot into a story. I'm just sort of like, meh, why not? So, that should be up soon. That reminded me. I should probably respond to reviews. :/ ,Meh. I'll start doing that. Anyways, bye!


End file.
